Now they sin more and more. They use their silver to make statues of gods for themselves. The statues come from their own clever ideas. Skilled workers make all of them. The people pray to these gods. They offer human sacrifices to them. They kiss the gods that look like calves.

现今他们罪上加罪，用银子为自己铸造偶像，就是照自己的聪明制造，都是匠人的工作。有人论说，献祭的人可以向牛犊亲嘴。

如今他们罪上加罪，为自己铸造偶像，凭自己的聪明用银子造偶像，全都是匠人所制的。论到它，有话说：献祭的人都要亲吻牛犊。

如今他们罪上加罪，为自己铸造偶像，凭自己的聪明用银子造偶像，全都是匠人所制的。论到它，有话说：献祭的人都要亲吻牛犊。

如今他们作恶日甚，凭借自己的聪明用银子铸造神像，但这不过是匠人之作。人们议论他们说：“那些献祭的人竟亲吻牛犊偶像！”

现在他们犯罪越来越多，为自己做铸像，按着自己的技巧，用自己的银子做偶像；这些都是匠人的手工。他们论到这些说：“向偶像献祭的人，可以亲吻牛犊。”

現今他們罪上加罪，用銀子為自己鑄造偶像，就是照自己的聰明製造，都是匠人的工作。有人論說，獻祭的人可以向牛犢親嘴。

如今他們罪上加罪，為自己鑄造偶像，憑自己的聰明用銀子造偶像，全都是匠人所製的。論到它，有話說：獻祭的人都要親吻牛犢。

如今他們罪上加罪，為自己鑄造偶像，憑自己的聰明用銀子造偶像，全都是匠人所製的。論到它，有話說：獻祭的人都要親吻牛犢。

如今他們作惡日甚，憑藉自己的聰明用銀子鑄造神像，但這不過是匠人之作。人們議論他們說：「那些獻祭的人竟親吻牛犢偶像！」

現在他們犯罪越來越多，為自己做鑄像，按著自己的技巧，用自己的銀子做偶像；這些都是匠人的手工。他們論到這些說：“向偶像獻祭的人，可以親吻牛犢。”

如今呢、他們罪越犯越多了，他們為自己造了鑄像，按自己的技巧聰明用他們的銀子造偶像，都是匠人的作品；就說：『向這些偶像獻祭吧！』嘿，人跟牛犢親嘴！

今干罪愈甚、以銀鑄像、循其聰明造偶、悉為工匠所製、指之而言曰、任獻祭者與犢接吻、

今為惡益甚、匠人以巧捷之技、鎔銀鑄像、祭司命眾、敬彼犢像、接吻以為禮、

今犯罪益甚、以銀鑄神像、用機巧作偶像、悉為匠人所造、人皆曰獻祭之人、始可與犢犢見八章五節小註接吻、人皆曰獻祭之人始可與犢接吻或作人論彼曰彼以人獻祭反與犢接吻又作祭司謂眾曰以人獻祭者始可與犢接吻

Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver, cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of these people,“ They offer human sacrifices! They kiss calf- idols!”

And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves metal images, idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of them,“ Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!”

Now they continue to sin by making silver idols, images shaped skillfully with human hands.“ Sacrifice to these,” they cry,“ and kiss the calf idols!”

Now they continue to sin and make themselves a cast image, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say about them,“ Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.”

And now they sin more and more, And make for themselves cast metal images, Idols skillfully made from their silver, All of them the work of craftsmen. They say of them,“ Let the people who sacrifice kiss the calves!”

Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them,“ Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!”

And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

Now they continue to sin and make themselves a cast image, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say about them,“ Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.”

And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver,[ and] idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

Even now they persist in sin! They make metal images for themselves, idols that they skillfully fashion from their own silver; all of them are nothing but the work of craftsmen! There is a saying about them:“ Those who sacrifice to the calf idol are calf kissers!”

Now they sin more and more, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen. They say of them,‘ They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.’

Some people pour out gold from their bags. They weigh out silver on the scales. They hire someone who works with gold to make it into a god. They bow down to it and worship it.

But I will keep 7,000 people in Israel for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal. And they have not kissed him.”

Others decorate it with silver and gold. They use a hammer to nail it to the floor. They want to keep it from falling down.

From the rest of the wood he makes a statue. It becomes his god. He bows down and worships it. He prays to it. He says,“ Save me! You are my god!”People like that don’t even know what they are doing. Their eyes are shut so that they can’t see the truth. Their minds are closed so that they can’t understand it.No one even stops to think about this. No one has any sense or understanding. If anyone did, they would say,“ I used half of the wood for fuel. I even baked bread over the fire. I cooked meat. Then I ate it. Should I now make a statue of a god out of the wood that’s left over? Should I bow down to a block of wood? The Lord would hate that.”That’s as foolish as eating ashes! The mind of someone like that has led him astray. He can’t save himself. He can’t bring himself to say,“ This thing I’m holding in my right hand isn’t really a god at all.”

She wouldn’t admit that I was the one who gave her everything she had. I provided her with grain, olive oil and fresh wine. I gave her plenty of silver and gold. But she used it to make statues of Baal.

“ If someone carves a statue of a god, what is it worth? What value is there in a god that teaches lies? The one who trusts in this kind of god worships his own creation. He makes statues of gods that can’t speak.How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They say to a wooden god,‘ Come to life!’ They say to a stone god,‘ Wake up!’ Can those gods give advice? They are covered with gold and silver. They can’t even breathe.”

How did God answer him? God said,“ I have kept 7,000 people for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal.”( 1 Kings 19:18)

They claimed to be wise. But they made fools of themselves.They would rather have statues of gods than the glorious God who lives forever. Their statues of gods are made to look like people, birds, animals and reptiles.So God let them go. He allowed them to do what their sinful hearts wanted to. He let them commit sexual sins. They made one another’s bodies impure by what they did.They chose a lie instead of the truth about God. They worshiped and served created things. They didn’t worship the Creator. But he is praised forever. Amen.

A sword will flash in their cities. It will destroy the prophets who teach lies. It will bring an end to their plans.

Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him. He said,“ The Lord has anointed you to be the king of his people.

Evil people and pretenders will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, and others will fool them.

Obey the son completely, or he will be angry. Your way of life will lead to your death. His anger can blaze out at any moment. Blessed are all those who go to him for safety.

All of them are foolish. They don’t have any sense. They think they are taught by worthless wooden gods.

“ How terrible it will be for these stubborn children of mine!” announces the Lord.“ How terrible for those who carry out plans that did not come from me! Their agreement with Egypt did not come from my Spirit. So they pile up one sin on top of another.

Their calf is not God. A skilled worker from Israel made it. But that calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.”

So remember this, you who refuse to obey me. Keep it in your minds and hearts.

Israel was like a spreading vine. They produced fruit for themselves. As they grew more fruit, they built more altars. As their land became richer, they made more beautiful the sacred stones they worshiped.

They have ears but can’t hear. They have mouths but can’t breathe.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

“ Now here you are, you bunch of sinners! You have taken the place of your fathers. And you are making the Lord even angrier with Israel.

Israel, why do you want to be beaten all the time? Why do you always refuse to obey the Lord? Your head is covered with wounds. Your whole heart is weak.

He didn’t make himself humble in the Lord’ s sight as his father Manasseh had done. So Amon became even more guilty.

But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God’s anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown.

“ Come together, you people of the nations who escaped from Babylon. Gather together and come into court. Only people who do not know anything would carry around gods that are made out of wood. They pray to false gods that can’t save them.

But the statues of their gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have noses but can’t smell.They have hands but can’t feel. They have feet but can’t walk. They have throats but can’t say anything.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

“ Don’t bring those prisoners here,” they said.“ If you do, we’ll be guilty in the sight of the Lord. Do you really want to add to our sin and guilt? We’re already very guilty. The Lord is very angry with Israel.”

My people appoint kings I do not want. They choose princes without my permission. They use their silver and gold to make statues of gods. That is how they destroy themselves.”